The Significance of Being Significant
by Fezzes
Summary: What if Ben was too late to intervene?
1. Chapter 1

**The Significance of being Significant**

 _Disclaimer: "The Catch" is a show produced by ABC. I neither own, nor do I make any money off this story._

* * *

Margot was surprised by her own calmness as Felicity declared her ‚useless' and called for Frankie to kill her.

 _So this is it_ – Margot thought. This was the ultimate betrayal. Last night she had already started to feel like her own live was slipping from between her fingers like dry sand as she realized she had lost control over the firm. Tessa's betrayal, however, had truly stung. True, she had only just started to truly get to know her own flesh and blood and Tessa was still barely more than a stranger to her but still- she should have been more guarded about her. When did she become this trusting?

As Frankie moved towards her she couldn't help but to catch her daughter's eyes just one last time. Instead of a cocky gleam she found fearful and confused hazel eyes. Ben's eyes.

Suddenly everything seemed to happen all at once: Frankie raising his right arm and Tessa lurching forward to stop him. Both Ben's and her brother's shouts were drowned by the sound of a gunshot. There was commotion all around her; she heard sounds of a scuffle, then more gunshots.

Margot found herself staring at the ceiling. How did she end up on the ground? It was then when she felt the warm wetness seeping through her shirt. So she _did_ get shot after all. It was then that she felt the piercing pain in her middle and her hand reached towards the wound. Margot could feel her own blood gush through her fingers.

Suddenly there were more hands on her, touching her, pressing down on her wound. Faces appeared in her line of vision. Two pairs of identical hazel eyes, wide open in fear. Where were Felicity and her cronies? She thought she heard Tessa call to her "Mum? Mum!" Ben's deep and soothing voice was also speaking to her, a voice she had loved listening to once upon a time but she couldn't make out the words even though his face was right above hers. There was only a swooshing, buzzing sound in between her ears droning out everything else.

 _This is it_. She thought once more. _This is how I die_. Margot didn't believe in dreams; she had visions. Visions of herself as her father's successor; a successful businesswoman in a men's world. Rhys would be supportive and Ben would be at her side, their mutual quest for new successes, bigger deals and impossible cons egging each other on. Of course, that vision changed – first Ben left the picture and during recent weeks she had envisioned her own daughter by her side instead. Maybe there would also be a handsome brown-eyed man standing a few steps back, lovingly supporting her? _Perhaps it was just a dream after all._

 _Rhys and her mother wouldn't care less what happened to her._

 _Ben left her for Alice Vaughan._

 _She had lost Kensington along with most of its fortune._

 _Tessa wanted her dead._

 _The name Margot Bishop was of no significance._

Once again, Margot tried to focus on her surroundings. Ben was kneeling by her side, his hand still pressed to her stomach, futilely trying to staunch the blood flow. Behind her she could only hear her brother, who seemed to be speaking on a phone. He sounded stressed. Tessa also sat on the floor. She was crying pitifully and Margot thought that this was the first time she saw a fifteen-year-old child when looking at her daughter.

When Tessa noticed her mother's eyes on her she moved closer, grasping her free hand. Margot thought she could her hear say "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Please… mum", but the swooshing noise in her head made it hard to listen. She tried to speak but found herself unable to form any words. Instead she focused her energy on squeezing her daughter's hand. No, she hadn't lost everything about her existence. No matter how screwed up their relationship was, she was still somebody's mother. _I'm Margot Bishop I'm Tessa's mum._

"Hang on, Margot. Help is coming. Don't fall asleep." she heard Ben say insistently. It was then that Margot realized she wasn't in pain any longer. Instead she felt cold and impossibly tired.

 _Maybe she hadn't lost Tessa, but Tessa was about to loose her._ Margot tried to keep her focus on her daughter's face for as long as she could, as the lights surrounding her seemed to grow brighter, blurring out everything in her sight until she could see no more.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Significance of being Significant**

 _Disclaimer: "The Catch" is a show produced by ABC. I neither own, nor do I make any money off this story._

You didn't truly believe I would kill off Margot, did you?

* * *

When Margot woke up she felt miserable. It took a while for her mind to catch up with everything what was happening, as she was drifting in and out of consciousness in a sterile white room, bright lights above and machines beeping incessantly. _I'm still alive._ Margot thought as she registered the dryness of her throat and tried to adjust her aching eyes to the artificial light of the room. There was a dull, persistent pain in her abdominal area and she felt hot and drowsy at the same time.

She had needed major emergency surgery the attending doctor tells her during a brief period of being somewhat awake, the bullet having pierced her abdomen - though thankfully not her liver – and on top of being recovering from the major blood loss and the surgery she was being treated for an infection caused by the stomach acid contaminating the wound. _She was exceptionally lucky_ , the doctor said. Margot couldn't help to feel anything but. Her life was in shambles and she didn't even have the energy to think about which fragment of her former life to pick up first. _What was the point?_

The first ray of hope came to her when for once she didn't wake to nurses or doctors hovering over her, but to the kind brown eyes belonging to Danny who was sitting by her bedside. He, like the staff attending to her was wearing a yellow disposable gown over his clothes. _I must look a fright_ , Margot thought. They had relieved her off the tube that supplied extra oxygen when she first woke, but there was still that uncomfortable feeding tube they had inserted through her nose, as she couldn't stomach anything but melted ice chips that soothed her dry throat. There were many other wires and tubes and electrodes connected to her whose origin she lacked the energy to identify for the time being. She hated appearing weak and helpless and had she felt any better, she would ask Danny to leave. Instead she welcomed the comforting touch of his hand on the side of her face, gently caressing her.

"Hey." was all he said when he noticed her watching him. Yearning for some more information, Margot tried to clear the fog in her head for a little while. She struggled for words for a moment before simply asking for the person that was in the forefront of her mind.

"…Tessa?" Margot immediately hated how fragile she sounded. She took a moment to study Danny's face. There was a few days' growth on his face, which made him look a little less boyish, but maybe that was because of the crease of his forehead that matched the worried look in his eyes.

"Tessa's with Ben and Rhys at their house. She's fine. She'd rather be here, but they don't let fifteen-year-olds in the ICU." Danny told her.

"No one's been telling me anything about what's going on." Margot hoarsely complained. She only vaguely remembered what happened after she was shot and she was desperate for some confirmation that the people she cared for were indeed fine.

"People were busy keeping you alive." Danny replied somewhat tersely. "I was-… we were scared you weren't going to make it." He added more softly as an afterthought. "Plus you still owe me a proper date." Margot smiled weakly at this. She wanted to think of a smart comeback, but she could already feel the exhaustion taking over once more and found it hard to keep her eyes open. Of course her observant companion noticed right away.

"You should try and rest some more." He whispered. "I'll swing by again tomorrow if you'd like." The hand that had been resting by her head moved to squeeze her shoulder comfortingly before it withdrew from her. With her eyes closed, Margot decided she needed one more answer. "Wait. What day is it?" she asked.

"It's Saturday." She got shot on Tuesday. _How could it have been five days?_ "Sleep. You'll feel better soon." Danny said and Margot was fast asleep before she even heard him leave the room.

Despite Danny's words, the next day Margot felt even more miserable than the day before. A constant string of doctors and nurses seemed to bustle around her, checking the monitors or adjusting her medication while she was drifting in and out of sleep. Apparently her inflammatory parameters had taken a turn for the worse. _No shit, Sherlock_ , Margot thought. The throbbing pain in her abdomen felt almost unbearable, though they had already upped her pain relief medication. As a result of the higher doses Margot felt sluggish and somewhat disconnected from her surroundings whenever she woke. At times Danny was there watching over her and holding her hand as she dwelled in some limbo between wakefulness and sleep.

When she finally managed to shake the sluggishness in favor for coherent thoughts, she noticed the oxygen tube back in place. Clumsily lifting her hand to her face to pick at it, her companion spoke. "Hey, stop that. The doctors were worried you didn't get enough air." Margot looked up and was surprised to see a different man sitting in the chair Danny had occupied earlier. "Ben. Where's Danny?" she asked.

"Alice put her foot down and made him go home for a while. I offered to keep you company instead." Ben's eyes looked at her kindly, though he too had a worried frown on his face when addressing her.

"But Danny was here, earlier?" Margot asked uncertainly. Had she been this loopy to mistake Ben for Danny?

"Yes. He was here all morning. You've been a bit out of it all day, though. Do you need anything? How's the pain?" Ben looked at her inquiringly as if attempting to find out if she was truly coherent or not.

"I've been better." Her voice sounded scratchy and Margot didn't need to say anything else before Ben held up a water tumbler with a straw for her to drink from. She took a few small sips and felt her stomach protest painfully right away. She closed her eyes for a few moments, willing the uncomfortable feeling away. "What exactly happened? I mean… after I got – you know, shot?" she finally asked when opening her eyes again, trying to distract herself from the pain.

"Well… It seems our daughter's guilty conscience was triggered when Frankie was about to shoot you. She actually tried to stop him, you know." Ben explained, carefully choosing his words.

"Frankie's always had a good aim. I doubt he intentionally went for the messy gut shot." Ben winced at Margot's words. She then remembered Ben hovering over her that day, pressing his hands to her wound, his sleeves stained by her own blood. "I suppose I should thank you for not letting me bleed to death…" She looked at him sincerely.

Ben's hand found hers and squeezed it comfortingly. "We still very nearly lost you." He looked at their intertwined hands for a moment. "We may not be together anymore, but you have been an important part of my life for many years. Loosing you like this was always my biggest fear." Now both of his hands were sandwiching hers and Margot could feel the warmth radiating from them.

 _I honestly thought I was actually dying_ , Margot thought but choose not to tell Ben this. "And I seem to recall telling you that you're not getting rid of me this easily." She told him instead, trying to make her voice sound stronger than it actually was, but failing miserably. "What about Felicity?" she added.

Ben chuckled at her first statement and smiled at her "I'll hold you to that." His face darkened at her question. "Tessa tackled Frankie and when Felicity charged at Tessa I-… I broke her neck. She's gone."

"You're a good Dad. I'm glad Tessa has you." Margot told him. The idea of Tessa getting hurt filled her with dread.

"Well. It seems Tessa is glad she still has the both of us, which is another reason for you to get better soon. She's staying with me and Rhys for now- and attending high school. We need to lie low, Agent Diaz knows about you two now and is watching us all like a hawk after the abduction incident." Ben told her. "She is going to want to question you about a few things once you feel better. Rhys and I are already working on your story, so don't worry about that now, okay?"

Margot scoffed at that. She could feel the fatigue taking over again and was annoyed with herself for lacking even the energy to have a proper conversation. Lying low would be easy now that her business was taken from her by the Mockingbird. She just hoped she wouldn't have to trade the hospital bed for a prison cell.

"Can't we just blame Mockingbird? I hope one of you had the right of mind to deal with the shipment I stole from him". Margot was wheezing slightly by the time she finished the sentence.

"Mockingbird is Rhys' problem now." Ben said shortly. Margot noticed that there was something off about Ben's statement, but decided that this was a topic for a later conversation. Closing her eyes to rest for a moment she heard Ben speak again. "Rest, Margot. Let the rest of us deal with everything else."

"Fine." Margot agreed tiredly. "I'll let it go. _For now_."

"That's all I ask. Sleep well." Eyes closed, Margot could feel Ben pressing his lips to her forehead for a moment before she once more fell asleep.

During the next few days, Margot gradually felt better. Though she was still in the ICU and spent most of the day sleeping away, her infection was finally clearing up and she felt somewhat more alert to what was happening around her. The doctor assured her that if her stats continued improving, she would be moved to a regular hospital room in a day or two. Still confined to the bed, unable to move much without jostling the painful stomach wound, visitors were a welcome distraction and Margot could tell that both Danny and Ben were making an effort in keeping her distracted from whatever problem could be awaiting her outside the hospital. Neither spoke about the firm, Felicity or Ben's involvement with the FBI, carefully deflecting any attempt of hers to get more information. While Margot hated that fact that the two of them seemed to be creating a bubble of oblivion around her, she enjoyed spending time with either of them.

Passing time with Ben was easy, easier than it should be considering all the things that came to pass during their stay in L.A. However, Tessa's arrival had built a bridge in between them and now with all the secrets and the lies laid out in the open, they could finally rediscover the friendship they once had.

Danny's visit were surprisingly just as welcome to her, even though they were still virtually strangers that were just starting to get to know each other. In fact, building a romantic relationship was a new territory altogether for Margot. Sure, in the past she had partners other than Ben, but those were mostly of a sexual nature. Being completely honest with herself sexual attraction was also how she got involved with Danny in the first place. However, just like Danny seemed to genuinely care about her well-being even as she was a far cry from the sexy temptress that seduced him to her bed, she found herself actually interested in getting to know the man outside the bedroom as well. With Danny, Margot could feel a small spark of hope for the future within her.

With both Ben and Danny being reliable visitors, Margot blinked in surprise when one afternoon she woke to find Rhys standing at the foot of her bed. He, too, was dressed in the yellow disposable scrubs all visitors within the ICU wore, though for some reason Margot thought her brother looked out of place wearing them.

"Hello, sis." He smiled while greeting her.

"Rhys. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Margot politely greeted him. Her brother was often erratic in his moods and she learned to always address him with some sense of caution long ago.

"Well, boy-toy has finally shaven his face, so you must be feeling better", Rhys quipped lightly.

 _Boy-toy?_ "You better be leaving Danny alone." Margot said, instantly on guard about the fresh relationship she had formed. She was not going to let her brother destroy that.

"Relax! I like Danny. Danny's great- and a bit like Benji, incurably straight that boy, I fear. Such a shame." Watching her, the grin died on his face.

"You look like hell." Rhys finally said, moving around the bed towards the visitor's chair.

"I feel like it too." She replied testily. "And if you came here to gloat over my misfortune, you may just as well leave."

"Aw, sis. Don't be like that! I was worried too, you know. Some bloody mess it was." Rhys tried to sound placatory. "I realize this wouldn't have happened if I had killed her properly on the first try." He said almost apologetic.

"For all it's worth, your bad aim brought me Tessa." Margot whispered. There was no use in hiding her newly found affection for her daughter in front of her brother. Rhys was observant enough to make his own conclusions, especially after they'd believed her to be taken by Felicity.

"You and Benji got it bad for the kid, I see. I like her, too – she's a little spitfire that one." He stated. Margot hoped that Tessa would be smart enough to realize that it was always best to stay in Rhys' good graces. No matter what happened with the firm, or what was left of it, as of now Tessa was the heir – to either of them.

"Ben said you've been talking care of the Mockingbird problem. How is that going?" Margot asked. _Mockingbird is Rhys' problem now_ , Ben had told her. Her brother scrunched up his face in mock concentration. "Well. There is a little _conflict of interest_." Rhys looked towards the nurses' station, making sure no one else was listening in to their conversation. "Justine – Agent Diaz - wants to _arrest_ Mockingbird and she wants Ben and me to _help_ arrest him. The problem is that Alice's brother is a complete idiot and so I can't possibly give up Mockingbird's identity."

"Alice's brother?" What was his name again? Tom? Tommy? "What does he got to do with it?" Margot was confused.

Rhys sighed. "Well, here's the deal. The man that introduced himself to you as Mockingbird is in fact not him and thanks to AVI, Justine knows."

"What? You mean the man I met and who threatened me is in fact Alice Vaughan's brother? And the FBI knows?" Margot had a hard time making sense of Rhys' ramblings. Then realization hit her. "If Alice's brother is working with the FBI then I'll leave this hospital in handcuffs."

"No, no. No. That's not what's going to happen. I've been talking with Tommy. You see, the woman that he met the other night, who stole his shipment and introduced herself as Margot Bishop is actually a brunette woman of Indian heritage with a slight Hindi accent. Or at least that's what he's told Agent Diaz."

"You're putting the blame on Felicity. How's that working?"

"Well she's dead so no one can ask her. She was the one to manipulate and abduct Tessa, she's been using your name to sell illegal shipments of drugs and she's the one who tried to kill you. The shoe fits." Rhys explained. "We did however clear your suite of any compromising items, you know, guns, cash, data. Thank goodness Ben knows all of your secret hiding spaces. Good thing we did, too. The FBI searched your rooms the very next day."

"But they didn't find anything?" she asked worriedly.

Rhys shook his head. "Ben was pretty throughout."

Margot could feel her anxiety calm down a notch. Could this really work? "But what about the real Mockingbird? Why aren't you giving up his real identity if you already know?" She then saw the look on Rhys face. _No_.

"No." Margot couldn't believe it. "It's been _you_ all along! You've been framing the firm! You've been stealing my business! My own brother!" For a moment she didn't know if she should laugh or cry.

"If you remember correctly you were the one to steal the firm from me, so don't go complaining about it now. I was merely taking back what was mine before. What did you think I would do? Stand by and do nothing? Look at the bright side – Kensington is and will still be a family business." Rhys shrugged his shoulders.

Then something happened that Margot had promised herself to never ever do in front of anyone, especially not her own brother. She felt her eyes well up in tears and before she could stop herself a sob broke loose in her throat and she started crying in earnest.

Rhys, taken aback by his sister's unexpected reaction, began to stutter. "Margot- _darling_. No need for tears over this. See, this is why women are absolutely unsuitable for being the boss. They take everything personally. And then they start crying. I hate that." He awkwardly patted her arm, not knowing how to comfort his sister.

Margot tried to compose herself, but her brother's words just seemed to rub it in even worse. She was a failure; totally unsuitable for leading the firm. Taking a few deep breaths she willed herself to calm down. "I think it'd be best if you leave." She finally said.

"Oh, don't be like, this, Margot. If it's any consolidation to you, Ben isn't happy with me either, for nearly screwing up his C.I.-deal. I'm just looking out for all of us, you know? It's not my fault Felicity showed up and made a huge spectacle of herself."

Margot sighed. Having overcome her brief moment of weakness she looked her brother dead in the eye. It was no use to argue with him now and she certainly didn't have the energy to fight him. "Can you really keep us out of jail? All of us?" she asked instead.

"Of course, darling. I created a few fake traces that'll make the Shives and Gullahorns a bit uncomfortable and I may have to blame the rest on Mum, but I got it under control. Justine _likes_ me." Rhys gave his usual cocky smile before getting up from his spot. "As much as I enjoyed our little visit, I have to go back to FBI land. Being a decent guy is hard work." He bent down and kissed Margot on the cheek, before turning to leave.

"Rhys." Her brother stopped and turned to face her once more. "I need you to promise me. No matter how ugly things get – between you and me or Benjamin or anyone else – Tessa always comes first. Tessa needs to come first."

Her brother looked at her for a moment, calculating, before he nodded shortly. "Okay."

The next day, after spending more than a week in the ICU, Margot was finally moved in a private hospital room. She was still bed-ridden and her first rounds of physical therapy had been a disaster –who knew that a week spent in bed could weaken one's body so much? Eating was also still an issue – any kind of food caused her battered stomach to protest painfully. That along the white-hot pain she felt when retching it back up still necessitated the annoying nasogastric tube to provide her body with the nutrients it needed. All in all, Margot still had quite the road to recovery ahead of her. _But she'd live._

Margot knew from the moment the door to her room opened and closed who'd come to see her. Anticipating and dreading this visit at the same time, she turned to look at her daughter standing hesitantly in front of the door. Blue eyes meeting hazel, Margot realized her daughter was probably feeling exactly the same. With a small gesture of her hand, she motioned for Tessa to come closer and suddenly it felt as if two magnets were connecting. No words were necessary as Margot welcomed her daughter in her arms, drawing her close despite of the twinge she felt in her middle. Her daughter smelt of a fruity shampoo and Chanel perfume, which Margot instantly recognized as her own favorite brand.

"Mum." Tessa mumbled into her shoulder and Margot remembered the last moments before she passed out on the hotel room floor. _I'm Margot Bishop. I'm Tessa's mum._

She may be of no more significance professionally, but she still had her family. Tessa, Rhys, Ben, they were all there for her in their own special way. And maybe, a small voice in the back of her mind piped up, maybe Danny Yoon could be a part of it as well.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for your nice reviews. This chapter is for all the Margot/Danny shippers out there.

* * *

Margot felt as if she was being treated like a raw egg. Ever since she got out of the hospital two weeks ago, her fellow 'housemates' were constantly hovering over her. It made her wish for the solitude of her suite in the Weatherby hotel. However, one of the doctors' conditions for her release from the hospital had been that she wouldn't be staying on her own, in case she needed assistance. Not that her brother or Ben would have it any other way. They had pitched her the idea – it really was more of a demand – of giving up the suite and moving into one of the rooms of their spacious Beverly Hills residence early on when it became clear that getting back on her feet was not a feat quickly accomplished.

It wasn't the worst idea – even if Margot would rather bite her tongue than admit this in front of Rhys or Ben. Tessa was now enrolled in a prestigious private high school in the neighborhood and was finally adapting to a typical lifestyle of a 15-year-old teenager. Commuting to the school from the Weatherby was out of question and Margot was not keen on living apart from her daughter anytime soon. It was Benjamin of course who wanted Tessa to go and finish school, and Agent Diaz' requirements for leaving Tessa out of their investigations only played in his hands. Margot could understand why he wanted his daughter to finish school. While she and Rhys had had the opportunity to graduate from one of the finest private boarding schools in England before working full-time for their father's firm, Ben had to drop out of school early on to make ends meet. So when Tessa approached her to ask when 'this farce' would finally end she told her daughter in no uncertain terms that she expected her to learn as much as she could. Languages, Economics, Sports – those were all skills one needed 'in the business' after all.

"Oh, and join drama class, while you're at it" Margot told her daughter, whose mouth fell open in disbelief. "If you truly want to be a con-artist you'll need to be an excellent actor". Needless to say, Tessa had stopped discussing the need for her attending school right then.

This at least took the pressure off Margot to make any decisions about what to do next anytime soon. She couldn't – she wouldn't – stay in her brother's house for longer than necessary, but at the moment she couldn't think of any other place to go. Also she needed to sort out her finances – she knew Rhys well enough that he probably had cleaned out whatever Kensington account in her name, though she wasn't so sure what happened to some off her private little off-shore accounts or the money and items stashed away in the rectory. Were they still hers? Once she was well enough she would have to go and check.

As Mockingbird Rhys had secretly taken the reigns of Kensington back from her and Margot had no access on any information at all. At the moment, 'Kensington' was not a word to be used in this household anyways. With Agent Diaz barging in at whatever time she pleased it wasn't safe to discuss business with her brother or anyone else. It wasn't like anyone let her discuss business. Ben, Tessa, Danny – even her own brother, they were all hovering over her, making sure she rested enough, ate properly, took her medication and tried to keep her from doing any potentially taxing activity.

It didn't help that she actually was still so easily winded. At least now she could finally manage the flight of stairs that led from the parking spaces to the front door without feeling dangerously close to passing out but she still needed at least one extended afternoon nap to make it through the day. Apart from doctor's appointments and PT there was nothing to be done but rest.

The men had given her the guest room that was located on the ground floor next to the spacious living room. It was fine, really, tastefully furnished with an en-suite bathroom and like the living room had a spectacular panoramic view over the Hollywood Hills. It was nearly noon. She had gotten up early enough so she could have breakfast with Tessa before she needed to leave for school. She knew Ben and Rhys were somewhere in the house as well, doing research work for Agent Diaz – her brother had already complained at length that they currently weren't given any 'exciting' cases as some sort of penalty for the messy abduction incident. A polite, yet firm knock on her door already gave away the identity of her visitor.

"Come in, Danny" she said from where she was lounging on a recliner in front of the panoramic windows. She was dressed in sweats as she had a PT session this morning, but she was beyond the point of being bothered by her appearance. No make-up, air-dried hair and comfortable clothes were at least one step up from the hospital gown or pajamas she had been wearing for weeks. At least she was able to take a shower without assistance now.

"Hey." Her visitor greeted her. "I brought some lunch. You up for it?" He said holding up the paper bag he was carrying.

"Yes please." Margot told him with a smile, choosing to ignore the fact that Danny –as well as Ben and Rhys- were taking care of her meals every day and that she had already been expecting one of the three men to inform her that lunch was ready. Truthfully, she suspected that they were actually _scheduling_ her meals. God knows she didn't cook, but neither did she currently live in a place with room service, nor did she have the energy to go and eat out. However, dropping twenty pounds within six short weeks because of her stomach injury was enough for the people in her life to make it their task to make sure she never again missed a meal.

Margot gingerly got up from where she was sitting and went to draw her arms around Danny and pressed a quick kiss on his lips. "How long is Alice letting you off the leash?" she asked.

"I assure you there are no leashes involved between Alice and me. Val, however can sometimes be-" she cut him off with another kiss which he eagerly reciprocated.

"I think you said something about lunch?" she asked him cockily and took the bag from his hand. They ate together in a comfortable companionship. Avoiding topics like Margot's health – because in recent weeks pretty much everything had resolved around her wellbeing – she instead asked him about work.

"It's still pretty chaotic with Sophie being gone. Her father still wants to sue. There've been lawyers of her family snooping around the offices and stuff. And God knows Agent Diaz has got Alice and Val on their toes as well." Danny told her.

This piece of information puzzled Margot. She knew Sophie had been shot in the stomach as well when Felicity went to retrieve Tessa from her suite – although the younger woman had thankfully had an easier time of it than Margot did, but the lawsuit information was new to her.

"I thought Sophie did not have any parents? None that she grew up with anyways." Margot tried to recall what she knew about the young woman.

"How do you know that? I met her parents, they came to the hospital after Sophie was out of surgery." Danny asked.

"You might remember that I was the one who did research on AVI and all of its associates when Ben and I were targeting it. So when Alice went about finding a new member for your team I did my own research about the candidates. I'm quite sure she grew up in an orphanage. It was actually quite impressive how she got herself all kinds of prestigious scholarships for her education. In fact, Alice hiring her was the moment I decided it was about time to withdraw from the Christopher Hall mock. An ivy-league lawyer with intimate knowledge about hacking and data tracing – I should not have been surprised we got burned when we tried to steal that one last piece of information from Seth Hamilton." Margot explained.

"What? Wait- I think I remember a conversation Sophie and I once had. She said something about ' _at least you have a family'_." Danny apparently couldn't believe he forgot this little tidbit of information. "So if she doesn't have a family, who are the people suing us?" he asked looking at Margot who only cocked an eyebrow at him.

Margot knew she should be more indifferent about whatever was going on at AVI, but then decided to help anyways. Wasn't this what relationships were all about? Helping each other and caring about whatever is bothering the other? It wasn't as if she didn't know the people she worked with and she was sure that if Alice or Valerie had been more forthcoming with information concerning their past business with her, Agent Diaz would not have let her off the hook quite as quickly. But first, she needed more information. "Have you talked to her?" she asked.

"Only briefly. She and I we weren't exactly on the best of terms recently." Danny relented.

"Why?" Margot asked, already suspecting what the reason was.

"Well, she caught us making out in the elevator. Then she told me I was playing with fire and accused you of using me and possibly getting me killed, but you already know that." Danny explained.

"Yes, she mentioned something like that to me." It was actually the last time Margot had spoken with Sophie. She had promised her that they would _all_ return safely. She hadn't counted on the fact that it might be Sophie being in danger staying in her suite. She had felt bad for the woman when she heard of the assault, but truthfully her mind was occupied with the fear of Tessa's safety and so she hadn't wasted another thought on Sophie until long after she herself had gotten shot. "Have you noticed something being off with her recently?" she continued.

"Well, I don't think Alice told you, but Sophie wasn't exactly pleased we were doing business with you. She was merely concerned when we first started looking for the person who murdered your lieutenant, but after the Hammer started working for you she did start to complain verbally. To her it wasn't right that we were working for criminals." Danny carefully explained, not wanting to offend Margot.

However, she wasn't offended by being labeled a criminal at all – it was what she was. "I _did_ notice. I merely chose not to comment on Sophie's attitude. I wouldn't have complained as long as she did her job. It's not my agenda to be liked by the people working for me – present company excluded of course." She smiled at him ruefully.

They were done eating and Danny got up to clean away the dishes. "You know you _can_ be likable if you put in some _effort_." Danny told her.

"I _could_ , but what would people say? She asked, humor evident in her voice.

"God forbid someone finds out Margot Bishop is _not_ a cold-hearted bitch 24-7. Hell would break loose." He mirrored her smile as he looked at her.

She gingerly got up from her chair as he approached her. "I like to reserve this part of me for a few special people." She said quietly. Margot felt his hands on her hips as she reached up to draw her arms around his neck, their faces only inches apart.

"Hm. I'm feeling special alright." He told her huskily before catching her mouth in a tender kiss. Taking her hand he steered them back towards Margot's room. Inside the room he moved towards the bed, drawing back the sheets for Margot to climb in.

"Is that you way of seducing me?" Margot asked playfully amused.

"Oh I would if I didn't think you'd be long overdue for a nap. I know you had PT this morning – I was half expecting you already asleep when I got here." He said amicably.

"A few days ago I probably would have been" Margot answered softly. There was no point in denying the truth. She was getting tired and she preferred taking a nap now in order to be up once Tessa got back from school.

"I still got a little time left before I need to get back, how about I keep you some company?" Danny offered as he helped her shrug out of the comfy cardigan she was wearing over a simple shirt.

"That sounds tempting", she said. "I might not even get to sleep." Margot gave Danny a mischievous smile as she moved to crawl in between the sheets, then scooting away to give him some space to join her.

"I highly doubt that." Danny deadpanned as he tucked in the sheets around her before lying down next to her on top of the comforter. His arms snaked around her shoulders as Margot moved her head to lie half atop her pillow and half atop his chest.

Closing her eyes she felt Danny draw lazy circles on her upper arm with his fingers. "What are you going to do about Sophie" she asked, resuming their prior conversation from the living room.

"I don't know. Tell Alice and Val about the issue of her parents I suppose." He answered.

"Make sure to talk somewhere safe. If the people who call themselves her parents have been to your offices the place might be bugged." Margot told him.

"Why would they do that?" Danny asked confused.

"Sophie was unhappy you were working for me. What if they came to collect evidence to put AVI in a compromising position?" Margot reasoned.

"Huh. You think she'd do that?" Margot could tell that Danny had a hard time believing this idea.

"Sophie is an idealist. I may not know Sophie well, but I know that she is smart and an idealist. Not a good combination if you ask me." Margot sighed as Danny stayed silent. "Now stop thinking so loudly, I'm trying to sleep here."

Danny chuckled and pressed his lips to the top of her head. Relaxing further into his side, Margot enjoyed the cozy warmth he emitted before drifting off.


End file.
